Leaders change at AM General

Paul Kern to step aside as president.

Paul Kern to step aside as president.

December 25, 2009|By KEVIN ALLEN Tribune Staff Writer

One of AM General's top executives is stepping aside just 17 months after he was named president of the South Bend company. Paul Kern, whom AM General hired in August 2008, will finish his tenure as president at the end of the year, spokeswoman Celeste Ross said Thursday. He will continue to serve as an adviser to AM General Holdings, the New York holding company that owns the military vehicle manufacturer, she said. Ross said Kern is stepping aside "to dedicate himself full time to the numerous other pursuits in which he's involved." James A. Armour, the company's chairman and chief executive officer, will have full responsibility for AM General's day-to-day operations, she said. When Kern's hiring was announced, AM General said it was part of a gradual process that would allow Armour to retire. The company said at the time that Armour was scheduled to step down as CEO at the end of 2009 while continuing as chairman through 2011. Kern was scheduled to become CEO during that change. The company did not provide any details Thursday about exactly why Kern is stepping aside. AM General has its headquarters in South Bend, and makes Humvee military vehicles and its civilian version, the Hummer H2, at plants in Mishawaka. The company employs some 2,700 people, including around 2,000 in the South Bend area. Kern is a retired Army general. His military record includes two tours of duty in Vietnam and service with the 24th Infantry Division during Desert Shield/Desert Storm.